A great thriller with fun nostalgia for former or current sleepaway campers!
Goldie is a counselor at the summer camp she's been going to since she was 8, and can't wait to help the newest campers find out all the wonderful things that make camp what it is. But at the same time as she's dying to get back to the place where everything is perfect all the time, to seeing her two best friends who support her and love her no matter what, she's dealing with the aftermath of a choice she made during the off-season, one that made her a social pariah in her home town. And when there's a murder on camp property of one of the other townies, someone she's known for years, she makes it her mission to figure out what really happened.
This was so good. It's a YA thriller, and written so well. I had a decent idea of who the killer was most of the time, but the why wasn't obvious. And there were enough red herrings and twists in the story that the ride was exactly the roller coaster I was hoping for.
I liked the main characters, though Ava, one of the besties, was a little much at times. But she's written that way for a reason. I also like how the book is written, flipping back and forth between the present, and flashbacks. It's well laid out, and the flashbacks give exactly the right amount of info at the right times. Just so good.
I will note that while this is written as YA, with 18 year old main characters, there is a LOT of underage drinking, and an instance of some of those characters getting stoned on weed gummies. Not saying there aren't kids who make those choices, but just something to keep in mind.
For those of us who went to sleepaway camps, this book really rings true in a lot of ways. The immediate and heartfelt friendships that form in those moments at camp, the feelings of belonging and homesickness for camp through the rest of the year... It's all so familiar. Camp was a special place, no matter how you slice it.
Thank you to BookishFirst for the copy of this book.
This was so good. It's a YA thriller, and written so well. I had a decent idea of who the killer was most of the time, but the why wasn't obvious. And there were enough red herrings and twists in the story that the ride was exactly the roller coaster I was hoping for.
I liked the main characters, though Ava, one of the besties, was a little much at times. But she's written that way for a reason. I also like how the book is written, flipping back and forth between the present, and flashbacks. It's well laid out, and the flashbacks give exactly the right amount of info at the right times. Just so good.
I will note that while this is written as YA, with 18 year old main characters, there is a LOT of underage drinking, and an instance of some of those characters getting stoned on weed gummies. Not saying there aren't kids who make those choices, but just something to keep in mind.
For those of us who went to sleepaway camps, this book really rings true in a lot of ways. The immediate and heartfelt friendships that form in those moments at camp, the feelings of belonging and homesickness for camp through the rest of the year... It's all so familiar. Camp was a special place, no matter how you slice it.
Thank you to BookishFirst for the copy of this book.